Apparatus for handling materials



c H YOUNG I APPARATUS FOR HANDLING MATERIALS Filed March 21. 1924Invenior: -0Za? e?weHYbu June ,"1926.

Patented June 8, 1926.

PATENT rear-s73 erricr.

CLARENCE H. YOUNG, 0F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING MATERIALS.

Application filed March 21, 1924 Serial No. 700,823.

' This invention aims to provide improved apparatus for handlingmaterials, primarily though not exclusively useful in drying operations.

In the drawings, which illustrate a. preferred form of one. embodimentof my invention Figure 1 is a perspective view of the preferred form ofmaterial handling apparatus showing a truck carrying a plurality ofsuperimposed frames; V

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the bottom of one corner of a preferredform of a frame;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the parts shown in Fig. 2, as viewedfrom above the frame;

Fig. &' is a section through the corners of two frames, showing theirrelation when one frame is stacked upon the other; and

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 4-, showing the relation ofthe foot on the upper frame to the top of the corner brace of the lowerframe.

Referring to the drawings and to the preferred form of my'inventionselected for illustrative purposes, I have shown a number of :framespiled one upon the other and spaced apart to provide between the frameswhen stacked, spaces for the material and, for drying operations, topermit free circulation of air to the material on the frames. Theseframes are preferably, as illustrated, piledupon a truck or frame havingrollers thereon so that the whole apparatus may be moved aboutconveniently from place to place. 7

My invention is particularly useful as a drying apparatus for dryinggelatine, glue, shellac and the like, but is not limited to such use, asit may be used for a variety of other purposes.

The preferred form of frame illustrated is not only very strong, becauseof a highly desirable corner brace construction, but is very sanitary,as is necessary for drying gelatine or other food stuffs, and is welladapted for stacking, and for transportation when stacked, each cornerbeing held in place relative to those'underlying and overlying it, sothat the frames cannot shift and upset during transportation by truck orotherwise.

T 1e preferred form of frame illustrated includes four wooden sidepieces joined together at the corners by lap or halved joints, as bestillustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, each lap or halved joint fitting closely.This type of joint is particularly sanitary because it presents a smoothunbroken surface at the inside of the frame, as is best shown in Fig. 2.The outer corners of the wood are preferably sawn off to provide aflattened face, for purposes hereinafter more fully described.

A wire mesh is fastened to the side pieces and stretched across theintervening opening to support the substance to be dried, at the sametime permitting a maximum amount of exposure of the substance to theair.

The corners illustrated are fastened together by bolts passing throughcorner brackets which hold the frame rigid, protect it, preventseparation of the joints and at the same time provide spacing means forspacing stacked frames apart and preventing shifting of stacked framesrelative to each other during transportation. The preferred formofcorner bracket illustrated includes a top plate 2, a bottom plate 3and a foot or spacer l.

The top plate 2 is formed of relatively thin sheet metal, generallyrectangular and overlying a portion of each of the wooden pieces 5 and6, but presenting ears laterally engaging the wooden pieces. Two ofthese ears? and 8 are bent down against the inner surfaces of the woodenpieces Sand '6, while a third ear 9 is bent down against or clenchedagainst the flattened face 10 at the outer corner of the wooden frame.Thus the ear 9 not only protects the exposed corner of the wooden frame,but exerts a substantial pressure opposed to the ears 7 and 8, therebyreinforcing and relieving the holding bolts 11. the case, the ears, orsome of them, are clenched by being hammered after assembly of thecorner brackets with the frame, the wooden pieces are strongly urgedtoward one another and a peculiarly strong and rigid joint is provided.

The bottom plate 3 may be identical with the top plate 2. s

The preferred form of foot or spacer 4 presents a downwardly extendingleg, preferably as illustrated U-shaped in cross-section, the bottomside of the U facing the inner corner of the frame, and mayadvantageously be held in place by the bolts. 11, 11, engaging bosses13, 14 exterior to the U-shaped leg and a web 15. interior-1y of theWhere, as is preferably foot. The heads of the bolts 11 projecting abovethe top plate 2, constitute a preferred form of locating means forengagement with the foot of the superimposed corner, to prevent anyslippage of the latter during transportation of the frames.

Thus, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, the foot 4 rests upon the topplate of the frame below and the heads of the bolts 11 provide suitablestops to prevent shift-ing of the frame above relative to the framebelow, thereby preventing the drying frames from becoming upset whenthey are moved on their truck over rough floors and the like. For somepurposes, the bottom plate 3 and the foot 4 may be consideredcollectively to constitute a spacing means.

The type of corner construction described is particularly sanitary andthe parts thereof are easily accessible for washing. The corners arestrongly held together and there can be no opening of the joints becauseof the cooperation between the ears and the bolts. The cars 9, 9 alsoprovide a protection for the corner of the wooden frame, therebypreventing damaging due to rough handling, accidental dropping or thelike.

While I have shown and described one illustrative embodiment of apreferred form of my invention, it will be understood that I have doneso for purposes of clarification and not for purposes of limitation, andthat various changes including alteration. omission, and particularlycombinations of individual parts may be made without departing from thescope of my invention, which is best described in the following claims.

Claims.

1. In drying apparatus, the combination of frames spaced apart byspacing members located at each corner of said frame and cooperatingwith, triangularly arranged abutments located "at each corner of saidfarms to prevent relative shifting of said frames.

2. A frame for drying apparatus including spacing members secured to oneface of said frame adjacent the corners thereof and a plurality oftriangularly arranged stops located at the opposite face of said framefor cooperation with the spacing members of a similar frame, thereby toposition said frame relative to a similar frame.

3. A sanitary frame for drying apparatus presenting a continuousunbroken face at the inside thereof, means for holding the corners ofsaid frame together and for pro viding abutments for cooperation withspacing means provided on a similar frame to prevent shifting of oneframe relative to the other.

f. A corner installation for a frame for use in drying apparatusincluding a spacing member located at one side of a frame adj acent thecorner thereof and means for securing said spacing member to the'fIELHIQ, said means presenting abutments at the opposite face of saidframe from said spacing member for cooperation with a spacing member ona similar frame to prev nt shifting of one frame relative to the other.

5. A sanitary frame for drying apparatus including frame members joinedtogether each corner by a plate, located at one face of said frame,flanges extending from said plate over the edges of said frame, spacingmeans located at the other side of said frame presenting a foot andflanges extending over the sides of said frame, and securing meansholding said frame members, plate and s pacing means together, saidsecuring means presenting projecting means for engagement with a foot ofa similar frame superimposed upon said frame.

6. A corner bracket for strengthening the corners of frames or the like,comprising, in combination, a top plate adapted to overlie a portion oftwo sides of the frame, ears extending from said plate and engaging theinner and outer faces of the frame, a bottom plate presenting a foot forspacing said frame away from an underlying frame, said bottom platepresenting ears for engagement with the outer and inner faces of saidframe, and fastening means for securing said plates and frame together.

7. A fastening device for securing the corners of drying frames togetherincluding a top plate overlying a portion of two of the sides of saidframe, a plurality of ears extending from said plate over the edges ofsaid sides, a bottom plate including a foot, a plurality of earsextending from said bottom plate to engage the edges of said sides, afastening bolt extending through said top plate, one side of said frameand said bottom plate, a bolt extending through said top plate, theother cooperating side of said frame and said bottom plate and a boltextending through said top plate, both of said sides adjacent thecorners thereof and said bottom plate, said bolts and ears holdin'g saidframe together to present a sanitary inside corner for said framethereby to 6X- clude any of the material supported by said frame.

8. A corner installation for drying frames comprising a top plate and abottom plate presenting ears extending over a fiat face provided at theextreme corner of the frame to reinforce and prevent damage to the frameand a plurality of bolts for securing said plates to the frame therebyto strengthen the corner thereof.

9. A frame for drying apparatus presenting at each corner thereof asanitary halved joint, fastening and protecting means for said ointcomprising plates having portions overlying the edges of said oint andspacing means extending from the corners of said frames, and held inplace by said fastening means, for spacing said frame from a similarframe.

10. A frame for drying apparatus presenting at each corner thereof aU-shaped foot, and fastening means for holding said foot in place, saidfastening means extending above the surface of said frame for 10- eatingengagement with a similar foot on a superimposed frame.

11. A corner bracket for a drying frame comprising, in combination, aclamping plate at each face of said frame adjacent the corners thereof,a U-shaped spacing member extending from one of said plates andattaching means for securing said plates and spacing member to saidframe thereby to present means for spacing said frame from a secondframe and means for positioning a third frame relative to saidfirstnlentioned frame.

12. A drying frame including a corner bracket presenting a U-shapedspacing memher at each corner thereof, and attaching means for securingsaid brackets to said frame, said attaching means at each cornercooperating with attaching means at each of the other corners toposition a second frame relative thereto.

13. A corner brace assembly comprising opposed plates, each presentingportions extending at right angles to each other in the same plane foroverlying intersecting frame sides, and each presenting a plurality ofears closely embracing the inner faces of the frame sides and the outerface of the frame.

14. A corner brace assembly comprising opposed plates, each presentingportions extending at right angles to each other in the same plane foroverlying intersecting frame sides, and each presenting a plurality ofears closely embracing the inner faces of the frame sioes and eachpresenting an outer ear opposed to said first-named ears and overlying,protecting and closely embracing the extreme corner of the frame.

15. A sanitary frame for drying apparatus presenting a continuousunbroken face at the inside thereof, means for holding the corners ofsaid frame together and for providing abutments for cooperation withspacing means provided on a similar frame to prevent shifting of oneframe relative to the other, and spacing elements secured to the cornersof said frame by said means for spacing said frame from a similar frame.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

CLARENCE. H. YOUNG.

